As I was strolling across the
infamous Paperchase haven of stationery, I come to a realisation that we obsess
about being productive. This made me think about my habits as a student - I
used to constantly engross myself with making long lists and punish myself if
those lists were left incomplete. Even my weeks were made into planned lists
because it gave me sense of control. I knew what to do and what to expect. On
the other hand, the curse of productivity addiction screwed my mental health. This
troublesome voice in my head kept calling me worthless when I was unproductive.

I think that we are all brought
up with the notion that productivity is something to strive for. After all, it
reflects a hard work ethic, determination and responsibility. Productive
achievements feel good – some argue that they bring happiness and others that
happier people are naturally more productive. Nevertheless, productivity should
never be forced. When I have nothing to do, I still feel like there is
something that I should do. The productivity craze runs through my veins and I
hate it.

Let’s be honest here. I think
that for me, productivity acts as a distraction from unwanted feelings. I would
rather work myself to death than face how I feel. Having said that, I have
thought of some ways to escape the jaws of the productivity curse and find balance in life. If you can
relate to my problem, read on!

This is a representation of how I wish my life was - planning gives me a sense of control.

1.Allow yourself to have a day off

Having days off is vital for your
well-being, life will not crumble to pieces if you put your chores for another
day and have a day off. Plan around your schedule, dedicate some time for
self-care.

2.Stop isolating yourself and go out to work

There is nothing worse than becoming
isolated at home due to work. Take your work outside with you to avoid
isolation and loneliness. Find a work buddy, meet at a coffee shop, socialise. You
can also check out Ziferblat in London: “it is place where you can do as you
please, like an extension of your own home.”. Genius!

3. Shut your inner critic by being active

Sometimes my inner critic gets
too much. If you can’t stop being productive or when relaxation gets impossible,
try to be active to drown this voice in your head. You could go for a run, sign
up for an exercise class or start practising yoga. Whatever it is, being active
will bring calm.

4.Learn to do nothing

Doing nothing is something that you
should practice each day. Dedicate few minutes to being still, focusing on your
feelings and re-entering yourself. Your mind will be grateful for this.

5.Stop feeling guilty

There’s nothing wrong with having
bad days. It’s normal to feel like you can’t be bothered to do anything. Stop
feeling guilty and don’t push yourself when your mind is not ready for productivity.

6.Start prioritising tasks

There is nothing worse than
having a huge to do list. It is overwhelming. You should start to prioritise
tasks. Ask yourself - what is the most important task and what is the least
important? You don’t have to force yourself to complete every task set.

7.Always take breaks

Taking breaks is crucial. In
fact, psychology has proposed a stage of creativity called ‘incubation’. It has
been shown that problem-solving tends to improve after taking a break compared
to continuously working. This suggests that taking a break will improve both
your mental health and work efficiency.

8.Stop over planning tasks

Know your limits, stop-over
planning tasks. When the length of your to do list starts getting too long - do
not add any more tasks! You could start combining similar tasks into a single
task (The Anna Edit shares her planning tips about this in this vlog). It may be tempting to finish everything in one day but like always – you
should never force it.

9.Break from the routine

For me having a routine gives a
sense of control. However, once in a while you should do something that you
wouldn’t normally do. Break from the routine, allow yourself a little change
(it’s healthy).

10. Make connections with others

Have social time with others as
part of your to do list. Make connections to stop the productivity curse
causing loneliness. It’s okay to be alone but don’t shut yourself away from the
world.

Never underestimate the importance of human connection for your well-being.

The length of your completed to do list should not correlate with your
success as a human being. Everyone should be allowed to take their own time
with things, as long as you don’t procrastinate your life away. Being good is
not just about being productive – it’s about being a decent human. So, reflect
on your behaviours. Know that help is available for when life gets unbearable.
Here is a list of worldwide helplines (thanks to Together We Are Strong on
Tumblr). You can also speak to your GP – you are NOT a burden. Take care of
yourself, and don’t let the jaws of productivity eat you alive.

Check out this fabulous blog post by Emily Aagaard about having productive lazy days.

The competition in the job market
is real, getting a job even with a perfect education is a struggle. In
2016/2017 there have been 757000 people with undergraduate degrees under their
belt and 237000 with postgraduate qualifications. When it comes to employment,
you should have a clear strategy, effortless applications lacking in research
are not enough. In this ‘how to guide’ series, I am here to guide you through
common life challenges. In this post, I will share some of my knowledge to ease
your journey towards becoming employed.

Learn to become self-aware

First important thing consists of exploring yourself. Think
of yourself as a book that you are asked to analyse. If you have free time,
practice self-analysis and think about your strengths and weaknesses. Ask other people about their opinion of you because on your own –
you could lack objectivity. You could also step into other people’s shoes and
think ‘how would I see myself?’. Understanding
the deep levels within your own character will protect you from becoming
another cliché applicant who cherry-picks random skill synonyms from the
thesaurus (without much thought about who they really are).

When you are confident about your strong and weak points, as
well as your interests (any interests, no matter how random they are), you
should start thinking about how your personality fits different job industry
sectors. Prospects is a great website when it comes to researching career
possibilities. Learn to become self-aware, this skill will aid your search for
right job and help you to sell your best self to the employer.

View life as an opportunity for self-improvement

Life should be viewed as an opportunity to better yourself.
Be an ambitions person, dedicate some time in your day to learn and enjoy the
process of learning. There’s a common misconception that experience in
employment terms means job experience, that’s not true. You may not have job
experience but if you have the right attitude – you will have other life
experiences. Experience is doing something extra, something that others
wouldn’t think of doing, something that makes you stand out from the crowd.

Rich experiences are the ones that improve your
employability and display skills and achievements. Have you ever volunteered?
Joined clubs or societies? Are you active in your school/college/university or
local community? Do you play any sports in a team? Met all the deadlines for
your projects? Whatever you have experienced, make sure that you don’t
undersell your experiences. Even the most insignificant of experiences
(according to you) could be your golden ticket to employment

View job searching as a job itself

Searching for job vacancies is a mammoth task. Fortunately,
there are always jobs available out there, you just have to know where to look.

Job vacancy sites

Most obvious place on the internet would be job vacancy sites such as Reed,
Indeed and Totaljobs. Put your location details and explore all the available vacancies
on every job site that you find, job vacancy sites may advertise different vacancies.
You should also create a profile on a job vacancy site and upload your CV. This
would make it easier for recruiters to contact you. Despite the popularity of
job vacancy sites, it’s important to note that smaller companies might have
limited finances to recruit their employees through these sites.

Exploring local area

Explore your local area, are there any businesses that you
could work for? Shop store windows may have posters with available vacancies. You
could also confidently pop into any store, tell them you would be interested in
working for them and ask to see their manager. Hand in your CV and make a good
impression. When a vacancy becomes available, the business would be more likely
to contact you.

Company/business website

Businesses often advertise vacancies on their website. If
you know where you would like to work, apply directly from the company website
and not from a general job vacancy site. The website could have a more specific
email to send your CV and cover letter to. It shows you that you have bothered
to check their website.

Employment fairs

Another fantastic way to meet employers in person and give
out your CVs. Employment fair is also a place to discover new companies to work
for. When an employer sees your face, you become less than a number on an
electronic screen and more like a person. Make sure to practice your gestures
and posture in front of a mirror before attending the employment fair.

Not what you know but who you know

Talking to people can help you to get a job. Whether it’s your
friends who are employed or strangers at a bus stop (you never know, a stranger
could be a company manager). At the end of the day, networking is extremely
important.

Knowing the employer

Knowing your potential employer and their mission is
crucial, when it comes to how you describe yourself in your CV. Read their about
page, try to establish if there is a specific tone or language that they use.
Understand their aims and objectives. How do your good qualities and
experiences link with those aims? Make sure you make the link clear in your CV
and cover letter and use their language. When it comes to your CV - ensure you
don’t sound cliché and be yourself. Back up your skills with experiences. It’s great to be organised but how did
you acquire this skill? Always list your past responsibilities in detail.

Last bit of advice

Don’t give up. Always search

Don’t stick to one vacancy. Apply to a lot of jobs and increase the likelihood
of employment

Spend time and effort on your applications. Research companies thoroughly.

That’s the end of my how to guide in getting a job. I sincerely
hope that these tips have helped and will ease your employment process. I haven’t
discussed job interviews in more detail because that’s a huge topic to explore.
Let me know if you would like me to write about it in the future. Don’t forget –
never give up and don’t be put down by rejections. The journey to getting a job
is not a smooth ride, but I know that you can do it.

Monthly Thoughts

July was the beginning of
something special – the birth of this blog. So far, I have been trying my best
to be active in the blogging community, support other creators and also be
inspired by their work. I have particularly enjoyed these lovely bloggers this
month – Ruthinrevolt, HelloBexa and Hayley Ivy. Thank you, ladies, and well
done for your hard work.

In terms of thoughts more generally, I have been thinking that my mind should
be always improving. Days spent not doing something useful is kind of a waste. However,
perhaps this need to be productive has stressed me out a little. It’s all about
finding the right balance and being kind to myself. I kept trying to figure out
who I am as well. I am living representation of self-identity crisis. My
boyfriend always tells me that the answer to the question ‘who am I?’ is – ‘I
am’. My August will be the month of being and discovering.

Monthly Favourites

Beauty

In the beauty category, I have
three products that I have been loving. The first one being my first ever
‘high-end’ eyeshadow palette. Distortion by Urban Decay. I wanted to see what
the fuss was about with Urban Decay eyeshadows.The selling point of this palette is the
ability of creating your own eyeshadow shades, I found this intriguing. The
first time I used the eyeshadows, I was transported to the land of creaminess
and high pigmentation. The palette is mostly comprised with shimmer shades and
reflective pigments in the top row, those shades can be paired with the matte
black for an original look. The reflective pigments reminded me of Alchemy Palette by Kat Von D, using them on their own gives a beautiful,
extra-terrestrial glow.

From bottom to top: Bleach, Shifty, Space, Mind Game, Blur

From bottom to top: First Offence, Hot Box, 5.0, Rogue, Trash Talk

From bottom to top: Territorial, Blackout, Old Smoke, Shag, Velvet

Another favourite from Urban
Decay is their Naked Skin concealer. In this heatwave I wanted coverage, but I
hate the feeling of makeup on my face. This weightless concealer was my saviour. It covers my dark circles perfectly yet still feels like my own skin. I pair
the concealer with a setting spray for a makeup look that lasts!

The last beauty favourite is a
powder puff lippie lip cream from NYX in the shade Group Love. I am always on the
lookout for new lip products. When I found these
powder puff lippies at the NYX counter, I just had to try them out! The effect
that these lipsticks give is a light powdery flush of colour on the lips, which
is often associated with Korean Beauty trends. The cushion applicator ensures
an even application on the lips, far less fuss than a liquid lipstick.
Unfortunately, the product is not as long lasting (hence the high number of
negative reviews), it looks great though.

NYX powder puff lippie lip cream in the shade Group Love

Music

This was the month of July – the
month of Florence + the Machine’s long-awaited comeback. After hearing Sky Full
of Song and Hunger, I immediately pre-ordered the new album called "High as Hope". As the title suggests this record is full of beauty for life and
happiness. The sound takes me to a field of sunflowers, where I am running
wildly in the sunshine. I am happy that Florence evolves but still manages to
stay true to her creative roots.
Favourite tracks: Big God, Sky Full of Song and Patricia.

Books

My favourite book of the month
has been Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harari. As the name
suggests, the book follows the development of humanity. This book intelligently
describes different eras of our evolution. I highly recommend Sapiens if you wish to learn about human history and achievements.

Random bits

Being a diabetic, I am always
searching for low sugar snacks. July was the month of Rye cakes. Rye cakes are a healthy snack option to fill the belly! Pair it with fruit, and you will have yourself sorted. If you are super adventurous, you could even have them savoury with hummus or other spreads.

I was also watching a lot of Rupaul’s Drag Race this month. I couldn’t get enough
of it. It really gives me an urge to start sewing.

That’s all for my July Favourites. I hope you have enjoyed reading this
post, as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Do tell me what you have been loving in the month of July and if you tried
any of the above-mentioned things. Have a
wonderful August.

Meet- Access Creative. An artistic alternative to common college and sixth form education, for individuals aged 16-18+. The college aims to educate upcoming generations of creators, across a wide range of creative professions. Access Creative has many great courses on offer, for those with a passion for creativity. Effective skill development is assured by providing students with modern resources, enriching opportunities and support.
Access Creative have recently collaborated with a British youtuber/blogger/musician, Helen Anderson. As an online creator-extraordinaire in the style, beauty and lifestyle world, Helen shared her knowledge about all things ‘online media’ in two educational workshops. The Access x Helen Anderz workshops took place in London and Manchester. I was given the chance to attend the workshop in London.

Before entering the Hoxton Hall, I did not know what to expect from the event. After all, free events tend to flop – badly. This time however, the flop did not happen. I was greeted with a line of beautiful, calm individuals, already bonding with one another in the fiery heatwave. After about 20 minutes of chit-chat, we marched into the hall – ready to absorb all the advice and tips from Helen Anderson. The hall reminded me of a theatre, it had round tables and red curtains were draping the stage. I fought my inner self-critic and decided that I will try my best to network and make friends (the round tables were a great help). Communication was easier than I thought, everyone had a spark of likeability about them.

I made some wonderful friends (photo credit: Lucy McPhee)

I am pleased to share 5 things that I have learned from this wonderful experience.
*Drumrolls*.

1. Doing it for the right reasons

At the start of the workshop, Helen shared her background of how she became a youtuber. It happened totally unexpectedly, after she posted a video on YouTube, detailing how she dyes her hair purple. While becoming a full-time youtuber was not her plan at first, Helen stressed that it’s vital to do it for the right reasons. Wanting to gain money, freebies or fame is not enough to succeed in the competitive online industry.

2. Interesting personalities shine brighter than the rest

Helen is no stranger when it comes to honest advice, her workshop was filled with it. She explained that sometimes good content is not enough. If you are not an interesting person, people will not watch you. Charismatic personalities shine brighter than the rest, they are the ones to be noticed first. Excitement is a crucial tool for building and engaging your audience.

Being yourself and an individual and having
your own quirks is so much better than replicating others - HelenAnderson

3. Planning leads to success

Consistency is key when it comes to the professionalism of content creators, therefore one should always create informative plans to aid their work. Helen suggested that maintaining schedules and creating content the week before, can help to stay on top of things. Whether it’s planning an Instagram feed or future content – planning leads to success. Unfortunately, life can be a bitch and throw individuals under the bus, so turning organisation into one of your habits is a handy skill to master.

4. Making content that makes YOU and YOUR audience happy

As an online creator, you make the decisions about the content that you put out. This content should focus on your interests, while also making your audience pleased. Helen stressed that online creators should ask questions: ‘What do I want to make? What others want to see?’. There must be a balance between self and audience satisfaction. Two things to stop doing immediately:
1. Presenting obscure content that no one cares about and 2. chasing trends like a crazy pigeon.
Listen to audience feedback, but don’t forget to be true to yourself. A happy audience is an audience that comes back for more.

5. Being in the public eye

Online success can be a blessing and a curse. Helen explained that constantly being in the public eye comes with responsibilities, such as knowing what and what not to say. That and the demise of your privacy is emotionally exhausting. One should be ready for the responsibility that comes with becoming an ‘online creator’. After all, internet influencers are the role models of modern day.

A moment from the workshop, captured on a potato

Meeting Helen was a pleasure

It’s safe to say that the team of Access Creative have organised an incredible workshop. In the free educational events category, they have raised the bar – congratulations Access Creative. The atmosphere of the event was friendly and welcoming. I felt like every individual in the room was given the chance to ask questions and join the discussion.

In the past, online dating has been viewed as controversial method to find love. Times have changed drastically. PNAS (Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) have conducted multiple
studies on online dating. Research indicates that 35% of relationships begin on
the internet or dating app. Despite the evidence, the question remains –
can you really find love online? Or is it meant for one-night stand fun? I am
here to provide my online dating story and give you advice when it comes to our
most beloved, online dating app – Tinder.

THE BEGINNING: REJECTIONS AND LONELINESS

Back in secondary school, I was young and naïve. When I
glanced across corridors, witnessing ‘couples’ and their hands woven together –
I knew that I wanted something like that. Of course, being a complete nerd, did
not put me in the best books of boys. They were still developing teenagers, who
weren’t mature enough to be in relationships that weren’t solely based on
eating each-other’s faces 24/7. I was single for all of secondary school and
quite desperate to find someone.

Back in college, I’ve started volunteering in a charity shop and met this guy
(who I thought was my soulmate). We shared a lot in common (at least I thought
at the time). He was this meditation obsessed, planet-loving, social warrior. I
remember when I invited him for a coffee, just to hear that he wasn’t
interested in any relationships. That rejection busted my bubble and confidence.
I thought to myself – now what do I do? I
cried for weeks and then decided to download Tinder.

CRINGE PICK UP LINES AND NAKED BITS

When I downloaded Tinder, I did not know what to expect. So,
for months, I swiped left and right, matched with some guys – and hoped that I
won’t be seen as a lonely loser. Most conversations that I did not start
myself, started with either cringe pick-up lines or naked bits that I did not
want to see. Then I understood, why Tinder is viewed as such a f*ckboytopia.
Instead of giving up on it, I continued trying: ‘There must be someone else
like me, trying to find love on here’.Long
story short, I spent about 6 months on Tinder, and managed to get a 1 year and
6 months long relationship from it. How? Well, here are some of my Tinder tips.

Justthetip

TIP NUMBER 1 – DON'T BE SHALLOW, REMEMBER PERSONALITY EXISTS

Around 6 months down the line of using Tinder, my finger and brain started
to ache. I’ve recognised that swiping left and right and choosing guys based on
their appearance – wasn’t the right way to approach Tinder for the reason I was
using it. Although I checked every person’s bio, most of them were comprised of
jokes and useless information. I thought that the best thing to do is to give
everyone a chance. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that eye may not
be able to see the beauty inside. My strategy was to swipe right to 50 or so
people in a day (I did not get that many matches anyway). It made me feel less
appearance focused.

TIP NUMBER 2 – DISTANCE
IS NOT EVERYTHING

When you download Tinder, you have a choice to select a mile
radius for finding potential partners in that area. The trick is for finding
more people, as well as avoiding awkward matches with people from school,
college, university - set your mile radius to at least 30 miles. It’s most
likely that either you or the person you match with drives. If he doesn’t there
is always public transport. Don’t be limited by distance. Perhaps there is your
love lurking in some weird town that you haven’t heard of before.

TIP NUMBER 3 – BE
YOURSELF IN CONVERSATIONS

It’s tempting to pretend to be someone that you are not,
especially on an online dating platform. You could become a professional horse
rider, an avid video-gamer or a campaigner for the rights of badgers (while in
real life, you are not into any of those things). Don’t pretend to like
something, just to maintain a conversation. If you end up meeting with your
potential lover, these lies will soon be out in the open. It’s much easier to
just be chill, be you, be relaxed.

TIP NUMBER 4- CATCHING
BAD PEOPLE EARLY

Okay so I will just define here what I mean by ‘bad people’.
Basically, these individuals are those that you couldn’t be in
long-relationship with and share the highs and lows of life. They are those people
who chat about your appearance and body too much. Don’t bother with them. If
they can’t communicate online without thinking solely about sex – you risk of
becoming just a simple object to them. Good people are those who are interested
in more than just your bra size.

TIP NUMBER 5 – MEETING
IN THE REAL LIFE

If you have connected with someone on Tinder, approaching
the real-life meet-up, would be the next stage. It’s your choice how long you
spend communicating online (I have done this for about 2 months). Be sure that
the person you are conversing with is actually real. Decide on a good public
place – be it a shopping centre, a library or a coffee shop. Before you meet,
don’t panic and most importantly don’t have high expectations. Sharabi and Caughlin (2017) surveyed 168 individuals about first dates. They found that
most participants were left disappointed after the first date, due to their
high expectations and idealisations. So don’t expect too much = don’t be disappointed.

TIP NUMBER 6 – JUST TAKE
IT SLOW

Love is a complicated thing. It doesn’t happen over-night.
Perhaps in the movies that you watch, people are quick to jump into each other’s
arms after a day or two of dating. If you manage to bond and feel some sparks –
good, just take it slow. There will be far more things that you will have to
learn about the person. The bad habits, bad personality traits. Love comes with
the acceptance of good and bad, so don’t rush to love someone before you get to
know them properly.

So here we are, this was
my Tinder experience story and some tips to help you find love online. In my
point of you – yes, it is possible to find love on a shallow dating app. However,
the success of this, depends of how you use the app itself. How did you start
your relationships? What is your online dating experience? Please share your stories
in the comments. Take care.

This year I will graduate university in
September, having worked my ass off in the process. These three years were a
learning curve and through this roller-coaster experience, I have expanded my
self-awareness and knowledge of the world and others. I thought it would be a
great idea to share some tips and advice to all the lovely people, who are planning
or waiting to study at university.

1. GOOD FRIENDSHIPS ARE NOT BASED
ON CLIQUES

Schools
are known to have their cliques: the popular girls, rock-chicks, metal-heads,
goths, nerds. Sometimes being in a certain clique can turn into your own
identity. Before starting university, you should learn that people at school or
college were not yet mature. The best friendships are the ones that are not
based on cliques, after all, individuals are complex. If you befriend people
who like to wear similar clothes or who listen to similar music – you could
ignore a lot of great people in the process.

2. FIRST YEAR – FRESH START

First
years in every university are commonly referred as ‘freshers’. I think the term
‘fresher’ not only embodies the new ‘flock’ of university but also a fresh
start. For the majority, university promotes independence. This is when you
move from the safe haven provided by parents, learn to cook and become a
fully-fledged adult (at least most do). My top tip for your first year – is to
enjoy it! You have one year, where grades don’t count, so spend it wisely.
Experience new things, join clubs or societies, become active in the student
union, party. Use this precious time to expand yourself and have fun, before
final exams and dissertation work turns you into a hermit.

3. FORGET HOW YOU LEARNED IN
SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

Before I
came to university, I thought that it will be like college – unfortunately I
was wrong. University relies on your own motivation, not perfectly rehearsing
lecture slides on different topics. The formula for high university grades is
simple – reading + reading + more reading + more reading. Practice reading
journal articles, extracting relevant information and referencing. These skills
will come in very handy. Most importantly, be interested in your topic.

4. HAVE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP
WITH YOURSELF

University
can put you into a gutter if you are not careful. Healthy relationship with
yourself begins with basic needs. Eat a healthy diet and learn to cook – your
body will be grateful. Get some recipe books, watch videos, follow food related
pages. Over time even someone who burns noodles could turn into an amazing
chef. You should also get enough sleep and balance all-nighters with rest. In terms of mind, don’t be a perfectionist. Perfectionism often leads to
distress. Have a balance of work and fun. Never compare your development to the
progress of everybody else. Most importantly, accept your weaknesses and flaws.

5. GET A JOB TO SURVIVE AND FOR EXPERIENCE

It’s unlikely for your student loan to cover all your living expenses, and
fun activities (shopping, parties, drinks, hobbies). This means that it’s
crucial to get a job to survive. Even when your student loan does cover
everything – do you really want to leave university without any work experience
for your CV? Look out for part-time or zero-hour vacancies in the summer before
you start university. Don’t be forced to eat plain rice or noodles every day.

6. HAVE A PLAN B

Before
you start university, ask yourself ‘what do I want to achieve from this?’ and
create a plan. Research your job prospects based on the degree, browse current
vacancies, look out for interesting companies. Having a goal or an interest
will act as motivator, when revision gets tough. Nevertheless, it’s not enough
to have a plan A. You should also have a plan B, plan C and even plan D. Just
in case, life takes an unwanted turn, something screws up or you lose interest
in the subject. Be prepared.

So here you have, 6 tips for surviving university. University is a
complex

individual experience. Some love it, some hate it. There are plenty of
alternatives to going to university, such as taking a gap year,
apprenticeships, internships or working. It’s up to you what you choose to do.
Take all the opportunities that come in your way and enjoy the journey of life! Do you have any University tips? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

Sometimes I have too much time on my hands and it’s both a
blessing and a curse. Time is finite, however for me – it triggers an
irrational response of thinking. The cycle of thought is difficult to escape
yet sometimes re-evaluation is needed for improved growth, awareness and
understanding. In this case, I have been pondering about the dangers of
becoming ‘an issue’. Perhaps you have experienced hardships in life – so have
I, so have others. I have been guilty of creating an identity out of negativity because I could not see myself beyond those problems. I had no sense of who I
am (and I still have no idea). Consequently, using my mental health issues as
an adjective for ‘me’ has been the easiest option. After all, being ‘the one
with irrational mind” brings you into a family of struggling individuals, a
place where you can belong.

Honestly, I have been hitting a wall of “I am my problems and
nothing else”. It’s easy to become a
victim, when there is so much acceptance for weakness. Instead of catering to the beast inside my
mind, perhaps I should go against it. Prove myself that I am not my past - behave contrary to what has been ingrained in
me. If you are like me and mental health issues have been part of your identity
– reassess yourself. It’s all good to use these problems as an inspiration for
others, but do you really want to be stuck in the past for the rest of your
life?

Ask yourself:

Do you want to refuse self-improvement for safety
and stagnation?

Do you want to struggle with understanding yourself?

Do you want to drown in self-pity and weakness?

Do you want to forget self-love?

Do you want to become a self-fulfilling
prophecy?

Whatever your answer is – this is your decision.

Let me know what you think about this topic – is it wrong to
become a mental label or is it part of self-acceptance and recovery?

About me

Greetings, I'm Laura, and you could call this place my lost world. I'm still getting to know myself, and I know I'm not alone. I know there are others like me, so let's go on this journey of self-discovery together. I am here representing expression - whether it's lifestyle, beauty or advice - I am sure there will be something here for you to suit your tastes and expand your mind. Lots of love.